When I’m melancholy, even I don’t know why, I talk to the moon.
The moon has never answered me, but finishing talking to, always the melancholy flies away. When I wake up in the morning, I get a beautiful new day.
What a wonderful world.
“675. Light at the Headlands” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
This location is at Mendocino Headlands. But it doesn’t mater where it was, if it makes feel better.
Yes, it’s spring.
The last Wednesday and Thursday I was in Mendocino Coast. When I was driving from Santa Rosa, it was raining. I was in pulling rain, but left side of sky was blue sky with white clouds. Â When I got Mendocino Coast, it was no rain. I had a nice sunset at the beach. It was soft colors. It was very soothing.
“674. Spring Waves” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
Here waves in nice warm spring at Mendocino Headlands CA.
“673. To Ocean at Spring Ranch” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
The location is Spring Ranch, CA
According to Mendocino Area Park Association: http://mendoparks.org/van-dammeproject-spring-ranch-barns/ The historic Spring Ranch Barns are part of Van Damme State Park and are located in a high open meadow alongside Highway 1 overlooking the Pacific ocean. There are several barns on the property, but the oldest barn is circa 1864. Sheep ranching, butter-making, dairy, butchering are some of the responsibilities carried out at the ranch.
I painted  “351. Sunny day at the Spring Ranchâ€: http://www.mariko-irie.com/sunnydayspringranch.html before. The size is 30†x 40†in oil.
I love old fences, meadow and ocean. Why not? So I painted “673. To Ocean at Spring Ranch†6†x 6†in oil. It’s a small painting. But still it’s nice feeling of spring.
I love it so much.
What do you think?
It’s spring: ground is covered fresh green and wild flowers started bloom.
Come out and join us.
“672. Dramatic Rocks” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
It was a nice warm day in Mendocino Coast near Mendocino village CA. Ocean was quiet.
But I felt so much nice energy from the air.
Do you feel it?
“671. Looking for Tomorrow” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
This is other painting from Mendocino Headlands CA.
It’s peaceful and relaxing scene.
I look forward a beautiful tomorrow.
“670. Beautiful Rainy Day” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
This location is at Mendocino Headlands, CA.
The last winter we didn’t have much rain. So we didn’t get sick of rain, we enjoyed rainy days. This is one of beautiful rainy days.
Now the ground is covered with fresh green. Wild flowers start to bloom. My favorite season is here.
I have a lot of nice memories with my father.
He was a professor, so he had spring break, summer vacation, winter break, same time we had them when we were students.
When he was young, he used to climb high mountains, like Japanese Alps. And he loved to take us hiking. My brother and I enjoyed hiking very much. Now my brother is a photographer of mountains including wildflowers, rivers, ……nature.
I remember my father took my brother and me to a mountain hut for climbers where was in Japanese Alps to stay in summer vacation. I believe it was when I was a middle school. During us staying, nobody came to the mountain hut.
My father didn’t like a car, so he didn’t have driver license.
We lived in Tokyo. We had to carry everything we need during staying from Tokyo.
We took a train, a bus and hike up to get the mountain hut. We left home very early morning, and get there almost sunset time.
Then my father put all food in cans and hang them for saving from eaten by some creatures.
There was no shower nor bath tub, so we went to the river.
In the morning, we were above clouds. It was fantastic.
I remember that I didn’t have paint with me, but I had a sketchbook and a pencil. I did a lot of drawings of scenery.
During staying, we almost run out food, my father wanted to just continue reading books, so my brother is seven years younger than me and I had to go climbing down two mountains to do grocery shopping. I felt a great adventure. But when we got back home and told my mother, she didn’t like that.
Now I know what my mother felt. We could encounter bears or some.
Some how he had never took us to any beach.
“668. Waiting for Waves” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
The location of this painting “ Daddy & daughter†was in San Diego. It was a warm day in January.
This painting recalled my child food with my father.
What is your story?
“668. Waiting for Waves” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
This scene was in San Diego on warm day in January.
Weaves were smaller and smaller. So it made peaceful atmosphere. But for surfers it’s not so fun. Probably they were having a daydream for riding a big wave.
“243. Water Fall in Hakusyu” Watercolor by Mariko Irie
I painted this “Water Fall in Hakusyu†in watercolor in 2007. This waterfall is a part of Ojiro River.
Every year after I finish business in Tokyo, I stay in the mountainside, which is surrounded by the South Japanese Alps.
This Ojiro River is very close to there.
The water of the area is famous as one of best tasty water in Japan.
So Suntory, which is the best Whisky maker in Japan built their factory there, because the water quality. They have a museum and gift shop on the property. They sell their special whisky only at the shop. It’s very mild and has wonderful flavor.
Of cause there are Sake makers as well. One of Sake maker, Shichiken is the gold medal winner. Every year they have a celebration week of opening their casks, and open to public for tasting middle of February. My friends, who love Sake, get together and go there to have variety sake during the week. And stay over night at his second house and drink more. Good thing, one of them can’t drink, so he is a driver all the time. Anyway my friend e-mailed me that they got too much snow, so they are afraid, if they go there, maybe they might be trapped by snow, and then they can’t go home. So they decided not to have the party this year.
They didn’t have so much snow, which is 150cm deep for over 30 years. People forgot or no equipment to deal with snow? My friend told me several villages were isolated by snow.
I e-mailed to my other friend who has a second house in the village. I wrote that it might be so beautiful scene. Then the wife e-mailed me that her husband has shoveled snow for five days already. Wow. Just think about doing that, my back started sore.
I found a beautiful video along the Ojiro river: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2wyTTafL8I
I hope you enjoy it.
My painting “Water Fall in Hakusyu†is displaying at the Northcoast Artists Galley through April 2nd.
“667. Light on the Earth” Oil painting by Mariko Irie
We are going to have a collaborate show with College of Redwoods, Edgewater Gallery, Partners Gallery and us/ Northcoast Artists Gallery in Fort Bragg, in March 7 – March 30.
I’m going to participate the show with this painting “Light on the Earthâ€.
The theme is “Back To Basicsâ€.
My “back to basic†is that John Lennon sang the song for us in 1971.
 “Imagine”
Imagine there’s no heaven     It’s easy if you try
No hell below us      Above us only sky
Imagine all the people     Living for today…
Imagine there’s no countries     It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for      And no religion too
Imagine all the people     Living life in peace…
You may say I’m a dreamer      But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us      And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions      I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger     A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people      Sharing all the world…
You may say I’m a dreamer     But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us       And the world will live as one
 All of us know that we are a part of nature, universe, isn’t it?
The location of this painting “Light on the Earth†is in Albion CA. The downtown of Albion is very basic. There are several houses, one market, one gas station and one post office. That’s it. And surrounded by this beautiful universe.